Despite not having received any notification from her master that the work was completed, Third felt incredibly at ease.
The reason was, quite naturally, that there was no need for her to worry.
She possessed a formidable power that was incomparable to anyone else’s, so she had absolutely no reason to worry unnecessarily.
And there was no need to be curious about the progress of the work either.
That person had, as if to announce what they had done to the entire world, flamboyantly let it slip.
Even those who had no need to know found out.
This was because Dylan’s death had become a major news event worldwide.
Even a month later, if one turned on the TV, one could occasionally hear updates about the incident, so what more could be said?
The “Rienne Forest Terror Incident”…
Because of that terror attack, Aires’ mana production greatly decreased, leading to unstable mana supply, which caused several cities to occasionally suffer from mana supply disruptions even now.
It was such a significant event that everyone had looked into the details of the incident, but in the end, they concluded there was no concrete evidence, determining it to be a power struggle between illegal organizations.
However, she knew.
She knew who had done it and what message was contained within.
It was meant to be a lesson.
A warning on what would happen if one initiated “work” in their territory.
Yet, even after such a grand event, there wasn’t even speculation or conjecture from journalists, known for their incitement and fabrications, regarding that person’s organization, which was simply remarkable.
However, Third felt a bit lonely that the time she used to spend weekly meeting and receiving guidance from her had vanished.
Perhaps she truly viewed her as someone akin to her own parents.
Although, on the surface, she didn’t resemble a parent at all.
Nevertheless, that thought did not frequently cross her mind.
She was overwhelmed just trying to study and practice the recipe given to her.
Third was still experiencing trial and error with the recipe that Luke had handed to her.
The ingredients and process were clearly simplified, and the purity and stability of the medicine were a ridiculous improvement.
In many ways, it was a truly dreamlike recipe.
If she could faithfully follow this recipe, the need to gather the homeless to run a facility would disappear.
She would be able to produce sufficient amounts all by herself.
However, the precise manipulation of this mana was incredibly difficult.
It was a kind of medicine that only those capable of “perfect circles and mana manipulation” could create—something that an average person could not hope to imitate.
Yet, this attempt felt promising.
It felt like it was going to succeed.
“Alright, I’ll channel the mana like this…”
It was at that moment.
Crash! The sound of something breaking.
Startled, Third failed to control the mana.
Bang-!
“Ow!”
Thanks to that, the essence of the medicine being created exploded and splattered all over her face.
Just who was knocking so hard? As she turned with a mixture of anger and confusion, Third fell silent.
“Third. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”
“Forest Keeper…?”
Beyond the broken door stood an elf, smiling neatly.
It was Yerna.
With her entire right hand wrapped in bandages, she was extending a cane that was charged with magic.
———
Yerna looked at the inside of Third’s rather shabby house with a frown.
It was a place so messy and stifling that it resembled a garbage dump.
And the suspicious substances and powders that could be seen at a glance left an impression that they definitely did not resemble normal pharmaceuticals.
The disheveled man among all that chaos looked truly like a drug addict.
In Yerna’s mind, the situation was sketched out like a blueprint.
By the looks of it, he must have been peddling drugs in the alleys up until now, and the innocent Luke must have believed it firmly and fed her wrong information.
Thanks to that, both she and Luke had nearly found themselves in danger.
If Luke hadn’t possessed the genius magical abilities obtained from undergoing the “Chimera Experiment,” it would have definitely been a serious issue for both of them.
How naive of her to think that someone in a situation similar to Luke would be all right.
Yerna strode forward and asked.
“What were you doing here?”
Startled, Third raised his hands and said with a flustered expression.
“Um, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding…!”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”
“Wait, let’s talk this out. I can explain everything.”
Yerna continued to glare at him with sharp eyes, gesturing with her chin towards the scattered substances on the table and floor, demanding an explanation.
“Did you really not know about that facility?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Did you really not know that it wasn’t a legitimate facility?”
Yerna scoffed as she thrust her cane forward.
Third, sensing that the magic loaded in her cane could easily pierce his brow with just a few command words, swallowed hard and began to frantically think to deduce information from her reactions.
In the alley, those who lacked awareness could not survive.
Having lived fiercely in such a place, he had no choice but to develop the ability to infer information from even small nuances.
Third had always thought of that person who simply answered, “just my guardian” whenever he asked about them as somewhat cruel.
But what could he do? If this was also her trial, then it couldn’t be helped.
‘Then…’
Presumably, Yerna was the ‘master’s’ guardian, but from what he could gather, she and his master might not be in an ‘unconditional’ cooperative relationship.
Her apparent aversion to the relationship between her and the facility suggested that she was not the type to turn a blind eye to crimes; instead, maybe his master had somehow deceived her into cooperation?
If so, that meant that the fact that the master was a major player in the drug business might be a secret.
He must avoid answering questions regarding the origin of the recipe.
However, he couldn’t lie to that forest keeper.
The reason being her master’s teaching that “a mage must not lie.”
However, that didn’t mean a mage couldn’t “ever” deceive someone, as long as the words spoken were not “lies,” it was alright.
By speaking the truth while hiding some parts, one could infuse non-verbal nuances through action, context, and tone.
It would not be a lie, but it would lead to a different interpretation.
“Yes, understood.”
“Of course, you understood, but you didn’t properly explain everything, and we nearly faced great danger.”
“…Huh? No, there must be some misunderstanding. I explained my situation fully. What danger?”
“…Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Third nodded.
“Then, what about those substances? Even if the misunderstanding holds, you’re still a criminal, aren’t you?”
“That’s….”
Third put his forehead in his palm as he looked around at all the scattered substances.
Indeed, it was a clear fact that he had produced substances.
However, it should be possible to reduce the severity of the offense.
“I didn’t sell these. I made all of them for my personal use.”
It wasn’t a lie.
He had no plans to sell the recipe that was still in the experimental stage, and it was also true that he had used his body as a testing ground.
Whether that message got across, Yerna looked slightly perplexed as she asked back.
“Really? Why did you need so much?”
“That is….”
Third swallowed once and continued.
“Well, you see, I’ve been addicted for a long time. I needed medicine to live. So….”
Currently, thanks to his master’s help, he had freed himself from the addiction, but it was indeed true that he had been in a serious condition where his life was at risk without any medication.
Additionally, it was also true that he needed substances to “make a living.”
“…Could it be that you worked at that facility for such a reason?”
“…There’s not much a person without identity from the alleys can do in this world.”
Third spoke earnestly.
It was indeed a fact that he lacked identity, and it was also true that finding a job was tremendously difficult because of that.
Nothing more than that.
“…So, did you live like this all this time?”
“Yes.”
Yerna wore a troubled expression for a moment before saying in a slightly softened tone.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Well, you’re the forest keeper. If I were to get arrested, I probably wouldn’t be able to make the substances anymore.”
Yerna lowered her cane with a pitiable expression.
“I see, Third. I’m sorry.”
“…Are you not going to arrest me? The production of drugs should be illegal.”
“I won’t arrest you. Instead…”
——
Yerna stared at the clock tower in the park while muttering to herself.
She wanted to know the situation behind this all.
And so, she discovered where he was alone and obtained permission to use her cane for interrogation with ‘lie detection’ magic to visit.
Since it was related to Luke, she wanted to ask herself.
However, the result was rather complicated.
He had merely struggled as a last resort to survive.
Misfortune seemed like a swamp that would swallow anyone further down unless someone rescued them.
It closely paralleled Luke’s situation.
The only difference was that Luke had managed to save himself before it was too late, whereas Third had not.
There was no possibility that Third’s words were lies.
If his answers hadn’t come from 100% sincerity, her cane would have immediately known it was a lie.
Yerna, tearing her gaze from the clock tower, made eye contact with a little girl on her right who was sipping a mint chocolate frappe.
The girl smiled brightly at her.
Faced with that smile, Yerna found herself smiling back and, cradling her chin with one hand, asked.
“Hey, is that really so delicious?”
Feeling a somewhat somber sentiment embedded in that question, Luke wondered if she was possibly blaming him and asked quizzically.
“Why? Do you not like mint chocolate either?”
“No, it’s not that. I was just wondering if there’s a reason.”
“Hmmm. It’s just to my taste, really. There’s no special reason.”
“Is that so?”
After finishing his response, Luke put his straw back in his drink.
As she watched Luke drink, Third soon came into view.
“Oh, Third. Over here!”
Luke waved warmly at Third.
Third approached breathlessly, looking extremely surprised, and kneeled before Luke.
“Master! What on earth happened? Is it because of me…?!”
The missing horn, the shortened hair, the eye patch covering one eye, and the cane supporting his body.
Everything made it seem as if he had suffered such a fate while exerting himself for her.
“Hahaha, it’s not because of you. It’s just… I’ve been pushing myself a bit too hard.”
“Then… I’m sorry, I had no idea you ended up like this.”
“Get up. A disciple doesn’t need to kneel to their master out of pity.”
Saying that, Luke extended his hand towards Third.
Third, with an almost tearful expression, clasped both of his hands around Luke’s extended hand.
Luke’s hand didn’t possess enough strength to lift Third, but that fact hit him with an even greater shock.
For a while, Third stared at his own hand.
Yerna realized that she hadn’t anticipated him to react so deeply, but she could tell that his feelings for Luke were genuine.
Seeing such a scene, it truly didn’t seem like Third had tried to hide information from Luke to harm him.
They must have simply had a misunderstanding.
“Have you thought about my proposal?”
Previously, when Yerna had visited Third, she had proposed to him.
If she were to grant him an identity, would he consider living uprightly in the open?
Of course, she understood that he couldn’t quit drugs immediately.
That would have to be gradually reduced.
But she wanted to know if he had the will to truly escape drug addiction.
If he did, she would offer to provide as much support as possible.
However, now Third came to reject that proposal.
He wasn’t ready to abandon the influence of the underworld just yet.
“Well, the thing is….”
Just as he was about to decline, Luke spoke up.
“Yes, I heard about your situation from Yerna. It seems an identity is necessary to do legitimate work.”
“…Are you talking about legitimate work?”
Taken aback by Luke’s unexpected suggestion, Third paused for a moment.
What did he mean by that?
Was he saying that her influence held no value whatsoever?
‘Of course, perhaps it wouldn’t impress her…!’
His fists clenched out of frustration quietly trembled behind him.
Yet Luke continued undeterred.
“Indeed, the underworld has no future, does it?”
“Ah.”
Third seemed to realize something from those words.
The underworld holds no ‘future.’
That meant she was aiming for an overwhelming level of influence so much so that the underworld held no worth in the future she envisioned.
And that assertion was practically demonstrated to him directly through the incident in Rienne Forest.
A complete and devastating obliteration—such a precise and unmistakable removal, done with such clarity, could only be for the sake of delivering a “message.”
Now he understood that his master was urging him to look forward to the “future.”
Third resolved to change his mind and nodded.
“Understood. I will obtain an identity.”
“Truly well thought out. Third.”
“That’s great.”
Yerna smiled slightly at that scene.
However, that smile soon turned into bewilderment.
“Then, Yerna, is Third going to school?”
“School? Why would Third go to school? He’s not a child, is he?”
“A child? What are you talking about? Third is now fifteen years old.”
“Eh?”
What could that possibly mean?
“Ah, that’s right. I definitely remember my birthday. I was born on May 2nd, year 1007 of Baal, which makes me fifteen years old.”
“Liar?”
Yerna was astonished.
Could someone with that face really be just fifteen?
Drugs must truly be terrifying.
